Fast-forward 100 years. The large herds of bison and elk have been hunted out of the area. White settlers inhabit the land, suppressing the fires which for hundreds of years maintained the grassland. Forest now covers what was once prairie.

Now jump another 80 years. It's 1975 and LBL biologists are excited to discover a small patch of native prairie grass growing wild at LBL. It's further evidence of what many had long suspected: that Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee once formed the western edge of a great plains ecosystem, maintained by periodic fires. After setting small "controlled burns" in the area, biologists are thrilled when, months later, prairie grasses spring up from the blackened earth. The seeds had been there all along, waiting for the fire's heat to germinate!

Now move up another 20 years. It's 1995 and biologists have enclosed a 750-acre portion of Land Between The Lakes which encompasses the first prairie discovery. Their plan: to re-establish an example of the original prairie habitat complete with native plants and animals. In so doing, they will demonstrate the complicated process of habitat renewal.

It is a daunting task and we aren't doing it alone. Non-profit such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, state and federal wildlife agencies, even private individuals are providing invaluable support.

We invite you to join us in this process. If you visit us in person you can drive through the prairie along an interpretive road, and see the land and its wildlife. Learn how humans impact the environment, and see the recovery process currently underway.

To find out how you can help, contact the Land Between The Lakes Association at 1-800-455-5897.